UK inflation dips to 3.6% despite accelerating food price growth – as it happened

BREAKING: UK inflation dropped to 3.6% in October, easing pressure on households and providing a boost for Rachel Reeves as the chancellor prepares for her make-or-break budget next week.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said annual inflation as measured by the consumer prices index cooled for the first time in five months, declining from a peak of 3.8% over July, August and September.Reeves has vowed to cut living costs in her highly anticipated tax and spending statement on 26 November, including measures to bring down the inflation rate to smooth the path for the Bank of England to cut interest rates

WH Smith CEO quits after accounting error that wiped almost £600m off value

WH Smith’s chief executive has stepped down with immediate effect after a review found accounting failures in its North American division, prompting the travel shop chain to slash its profit outlook.Nearly £600m was wiped off the retailer’s market value in a 42% one-day share price fall when the blunder emerged in August. It came shortly after the sale of its high street business, which has since been rebranded as TGJones by its new owners.WH Smith shares climbed by more than 7% on Wednesday after Carl Cowling’s departure was announced, although they are still trading substantially below the levels seen before the August sell-off.Cowling, who had been group chief executive for six years, will be replaced on an interim basis by the company’s UK chief executive, Andrew Harrison, until a permanent replacement is found

Uber hit with legal demands to halt use of AI-driven pay systems

Uber has been hit with legal demands to stop using its artificial intelligence driven pay systems, which have been blamed for significantly reducing the incomes of the ride hailing app’s drivers.A letter before action – sent to the US company by the non-profit foundation, Worker Info Exchange (WIE), on Wednesday – is understood to allege that the ride hailing app has breached European data protection law by varying driver pay rates through its controversial algorithm.James Farrar, the director of WIE, said: “Uber has leveraged artificial intelligence and machine learning to implement deeply intrusive and exploitative pay-setting systems that have damaged the livelihoods of thousands of drivers.“Through this collective action, we intend to get a fairer deal for drivers and ensure Uber is held financially accountable for the harm caused by this unlawful use of AI.“This case is … about securing transparent, fair and safe working conditions for all platform workers

Facebook and Instagram to start kicking Australian teenagers off platforms as social media ban looms

Australian Facebook and Instagram users under 16 will be notified starting Thursday that their accounts will be deactivated by 10 December, as Meta begins to comply with the Albanese government’s social media ban.Users affected by the ban will receive 14 days’ notice of their pending account deactivation through a combination of in-app messages, email and SMS before their access is cut off.The ban will affect users on Facebook and Instagram, as well as Threads, as an Instagram account is required to use that platform. Messenger is excluded from the ban – but Meta has had to develop a way for users to keep access to Messenger without a Facebook account as a result of the ban.Meta will begin stopping access to existing accounts and blocking under-16s from registering new accounts from 4 December, with access removed for all affected accounts by 10 December, the company said

Daly backed by Borthwick for long haul after England recall to face Argentina

Elliot Daly looks likely to remain a pivotal member of England’s squad through to the 2027 World Cup after being recalled to start the final autumn series game, against Argentina on Sunday.Daly is among six changes unveiled by the head coach, Steve Borthwick, who is backing the 33-year-old player to prolong his Test career for at least the next two years.Daly has not played any competitive rugby since breaking his arm against the Queensland Reds on the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, but Borthwick has wasted no time reinstating him on the left wing and believes the versatile Saracens three-quarter still has plenty of international rugby in him.“I think he is in as good a shape as I have ever seen him,” Borthwick said, having announced a reshuffled selection with Henry Slade, Ben Spencer, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie restored to the starting XV. “I think he hit very close to his fastest speed ever the other day in training … he can’t wait to go

Ashes 2025-26: Guardian writers’ predictions for the series

From pyrotechnics in Perth to the denouement in Sydney, our team of writers outline their hopes and fears for the five TestsAli Martin A full-blooded Ashes tour – both sets of supporters in the stands watching a hard-fought contest – after the pandemic proved something of a buzzkill four years ago.Mark Ramprakash Talented, adaptable cricketers beating Australia rather than the reckless bravado chance-your-arm bullshit of Bazball.Barney Ronay Jofra Archer to Steve Smith on a pacy deck. We’ve waited six years. They say you can’t go back